by Heather Skelly
Exhibit Explores the Evolution of Crafts
by Heather Skelly
Exhibit Explores the Evolution of Crafts
Fhe evolution of American crafts traces a path upon which necessity has been replaced by desire. In our modern, technological world, crafts are no longer made solely to fill a function or need in daily life, but to quench an artist’s hunger to make beautiful things … just for the love of the craft and the rich traditions it beholds.
In “State of the Craft: Contemporary Interpretations of Tradition,” on exhibit at the Museum of Early Trades and Crafts in Madison, N.J., 41 American craftspeople showcase how the materials and methods of their crafts have evolved. By examining crafts such as fiber, glass, ceramics, metalworking and woodworking, the exhibit shows how artists are embracing both traditional methods and modern advancements in these media.
“I have always maintained that the most inventive, capable and innovative of artists and designers are those who have learned the most about the history of their own field,” says David Revere McFadden, exhibit juror, and chief curator and vice president for programs and collections at the American Craft Museum in New York City. “Such knowledge gives an artist an exceptional visual library of ideas that can be tested, adapted and commented upon.”
The artists in the exhibition all show a unique understanding of the traditions of their crafts, yet choose their methods and materials to fulfill their own needs for self-expression as artists, without sacrificing detail and skill.
While all artists reflect the customs of their craft within their work, they also strive to make their own contemporary mark on their pieces. “[The works] signal a new level of comfort and delight in the history moment,” says McFadden, “in which historical techniques, materials, forms, patterns and functions are renewed within the context of the contemporary world.”
“State of the Craft: Contemporary Interpretations of Tradition”
Dates: through Feb. 3, 2002
Museum of Early Trades and Crafts
Main St. at
Green Village Road
Madison, NJ 07940
(973) 377-2982The exhibit features craftspeople from across the nation. The exhibit’s “Master Craftsman” is internationally acclaimed glass artist Paul J. Stankard of Mantua, N.J. On Nov. 17, Stankard will be part of panel discussion, called “Making a Living,” offered at the museum in conjunction with the exhibit. It will focus on business, marketing and public relations skills essential to all artists. Stankard will be joined by Pat Kettenring, director of the business and arts program at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and Ulysses Grant Dietz, exhibit juror and Newark Museum’s curator of decorative arts.
